


Spirit above your head

by handago



Category: UP10TION
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Eventual Romance, Gen, Korean Religion & Lore, M/M, Urban Fantasy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-29
Updated: 2019-11-29
Packaged: 2021-02-25 23:15:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,368
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21603592
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/handago/pseuds/handago
Summary: Wooseok had always worn those round glasses without lenses.Whichever reasons his family and him may have given you (“oh, he just likes those silly glasses, used to wear big ones when he was younger” “It makes me look smart”) it wasn’t the truth.The truth was, down the street there was a magic shop.(This looks like an xxxHolic!AU, feels like an xxxHolic!AU. But this isn’t.)
Relationships: Kim Wooseok | Wooshin/Lee Jinhyuk
Comments: 2
Kudos: 10





	Spirit above your head

When Wooseok returned home that evening, his mom was cooking up a storm in the kitchen. She had a pot boiling, the pan next to it was sizzling with half-cooked kimchi pancakes. And he could smell the red beans, which meant she was making red bean rice. 

That recipe hadn’t been pulled out since he passed his Suneung with flying colours and landed himself in his university of choice. 

He felt that he wasn’t ready to find out whatever this was, so he went upstairs to put down his bag and wash up. 

When he returned to the kitchen half an hour later, his mom had packed up a four-level container full of hot food. 

Her eyes twinkled when she looked at him, and Wooseok took an instinctive step back. 

“Be a nice kid for once and run an errand for me, would you?” - she said while patting his hair. Upon his nod, she shoved the container into his hand. 

“Down the street, go have dinner with Jinhyuk. That boy is far too thin for my liking.” 

Wooseok frowned. He did not know a Jinhyuk. 

But before he could protest, his mom had pushed him out the door. 

The cool air outside was contrasting the warmth of the food container in his hand. And Wooseok’s thought became _I should go quickly before this all go cold._

Their street was small, so it did not even take two minutes for Wooseok to reach the other end. 

He didn’t even know a Jinhyuk, or which end of the road his mom was referring to. 

But Wooseok had been here before. 

Back when he… didn’t have his glasses, he once got chased down from his elementary school all the way here. He was right outside, and then poof, the reason for his running was gone. When he looked again, on his left was a house impossibly old. It was a Hanok, with a few huts outside made from dirt, and the wooden roof looked like it hadn’t been repainted since the seventeenth century. Despite that, around the main structure, flowers bloomed with a variety of colours, from yellow to pink to purple. Trees grew tall, taller than Wooseok could climb. 

Sat under its porch, was a boy no older than Wooseok, wrapped in an adult-sized robe. Their eyes met, and the boy smiled at him. 

That was Wooseok’s earliest memory of the house down the street. He passed by it often since then, at least once a week. 

But he had never seen the boy again, until today. 

He still looked no older than Wooseok, but it seemed he had grown so much taller. Instead of the house feeling old now, it was his clothes. Wooseok’s memories might be tricking him, but the robe seemed to maintain the exact shade of blue that Wooseok had seen years ago. It was worn over a set of hanbok in lighter blue, almost the colour of daytime sky. 

The man grinned, stepping down from the porch. And Wooseok stepped forward. 

They met in the middle of the yard, on a path of smooth stones on top of the grass dominating the garden. His nose itched, right under the place where his glasses rest. So he brought up a hand to it, and almost upended the container in his hand. 

The man reached to take it from him, as if he had expected Wooseok to fumble. Sheepish, Wooseok scratched his nose and muttered. 

“Ah… my mom said it was for you.” 

“I know. Come in then.” 

Wooseok almost said something, but then remembered his mom’s instruction was not only to deliver, but to have a meal with him as well. 

So he hurried along, before the man could disappear from his sight. 

From outside, the house didn’t look very big. But it seemed to have modern features within, and enough room for a family. His feet on the floor didn’t make any sound, and the man ahead moved smoothly. 

Almost ghost-like. 

Wooseok reached up to make sure he had his glasses on, and shook his head. 

It didn’t take them long to reach the dining room. Surprisingly, there was a set of wooden table and chairs for dining, as well as a modern kitchen that Wooseok could see through an open door. 

The man set the container down on the table, and quickly moved towards the cabinet, perhaps to look for plates and utensils. Wooseok stood just off to the side, not knowing what to do. 

Then suddenly, something jumped on him. Wooseok panicked for all of two seconds, before realizing and rushing to balance. 

“Jinwoo! Oh gosh why are you here?” - he yelped, while the puppy settled into his embrace and practically purred in contentment. 

“His legs were hurt this afternoon, but they should be fine now.” - the man said, while setting the table. 

Leaving him to set the table (and being incredibly rude), Wooseok sat down with Jinwoo on his lap, hands wandering over his fur. It was a bit matted in a few places on the legs, but Wooseok couldn’t find any noticeable injury. Which meant whatever it was, the man had taken care of it. 

Assuring himself that Jinwoo was fine, Wooseok carried him toward the table and set him down on one of the chairs with soft cushion, before finally sitting down. 

The man had sat down opposite him, and the table was perfectly set. Dishes on the appropriate plates, just the right size, each person with a bowl and a set of utensils. 

“Thank you Jinhyuk-ssi.” - Wooseok said, looking at him. 

“It was no bother, Wooseok-ssi. And I’m well paid for it.” 

Oh. Wooseok looked down at the table, and finally understood. 

“Not just the food, Wooseok-ssi, though very tasty.” - Jinhyuk said, and then started on his meals. 

Wooseok looked up, eyes wide, more questions than ever before. But it seemed rude while Jinhyuk was eating, so he refrained and started eating too. 

The food was still warm, and so delicious. His mom really went all out. Even the kimchi was the good one that his grandmother sent over from the countryside. 

They silently went through the meals, and before Wooseok could react, a cup of tea was in front of him, the table long cleaned and their food no more. 

He blinked at the cup. Then took a sip. 

Lemon tea, just warm and sweet enough, tasted almost as if his grandmother made it herself. 

Jinhyuk was still seated in front of him, while Jinwoo had long wandered off. For some reasons, Wooseok wasn’t concerned for the puppy at all. 

“Wooseok-ssi, what do you think of your glasses?” 

Wooseok looked up from his cup then, straight into the eyes of the person in front of him. They were as clear as night sky, not even a star could be seen, bright but dark and unwavering. 

“Useful.”

“I think it’s time to retire them.” - as soon as Wooseok answered, Jinhyuk countered. It sounded like a proposal. 

Wooseok sipped at his tea, and didn’t reply for a long time. 

Then Jinwoo jumped onto his lap, and Wooseok realized. 

Or maybe, he remembered something he shouldn’t forget. 

“Say, was that a professional opinion?” - Wooseok replied then, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. 

Jinhyuk grinned back at him. 

“It could be.” 

At that, despite smiling, Wooseok shrugged at him. 

Because it was a big and personal decision. Wooseok wasn’t going to do anything until he could sleep on this. 

Jinhyul seemed to get that, so they sat in silence, drinking their tea. Just the same as when they were having dinner. 

At the end of the night, Wooseok excused himself with Jinwoo asleep in his arms. 

Jinhyuk didn’t step down from the porch again, leaving Wooseok to leave by himself. 

When Wooseok reached the gate and looked back, he saw a thin layer of mist settling over the house. 

But that’s impossible. He had got his glasses on. 

Wooseok almost ran back, maybe to shout. But he blinked, and it was clear again. Jinhyuk waved at him from the porch, the sleeve of his robes moving. 

Almost like blue feathers flying. 

Wooseok waved, and made his way back home.


End file.
